Lupa India, the investment company set up by Uday Shankar and James Murdoch, is in the final stages of picking up a 39 per cent stake in Viacom 18, which runs television and digital entertainment channels and is entering the sports business, say sources.
Viacom18 is currently a joint venture in which TV18 controlled by Reliance Industries Ltd, has a 51 per cent stake, and Viacom CBS has a 49 per cent stake. The company runs Color channels, Nickelodeon, India, Comedy Central India, VH1 India, MTV India, History TV 18 besides Viacom 18 Studios (which makes movies and other content),